5 everyday tips to make your autumn more efficient
Kira Zabe
October 22, 2024
As the leaves change color and the days get shorter, many long for structure and efficiency in their daily lives. Whether it's about self-organization, stress management, or protection against seasonal illnesses – autumn offers an ideal time to reconsider routines and optimize everyday life. Here are some tips to help you make this fall more relaxed and productive.
1. Improve time management with the Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique is a popular method for tackling tasks in productive units. Set a timer for 25 minutes, work with focus, and then take a short break. Especially during the hectic autumn months, when work and leisure often blend together, this technique can help work more efficiently and prevent burnout.
Tip: Use apps like "Focus Booster" or "Tomato Timer" to easily integrate the Pomodoro Technique into your daily work routine.
2. Seasonality in Self-Care
In the fall, the demand for topics such as stress management and mindfulness increases significantly. As the weather gets colder and stress levels often rise due to professional and family commitments, self-care is essential. Focus on taking regular breaks, meditation, or yoga to relieve your mind. Many are now increasingly looking for ways to reduce stress levels – a perfect opportunity to enhance one's mindfulness.
Tip: Try guided meditations with apps like "Headspace" or "Calm" to stay mindful and relaxed during the fall.
Photo by Omid Armin / Unsplash
3. Enhance digital security
With the increasing digital life, the topic of internet security is becoming more and more focused. Especially now, as many people are spending more time at home again, many are looking for tips on how to protect their data and devices. Check your passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and make sure your devices are regularly updated to stay up-to-date with security.
Tip: Use password managers like "LastPass" or "1Password" to create strong and unique passwords for all your accounts.
4. Live sustainably and minimally
Minimalism and sustainability have been popular topics for some time – and in autumn, the focus on sustainable consumption gains importance again. Many people use the change of seasons to declutter their homes, donate old clothes, or reduce their ecological footprint. The goal is to consume more consciously and produce less waste.
Tip: Begin with a capsule wardrobe or try reducing waste in everyday life with "Zero Waste" strategies to start the fall sustainably.
Photo by Sarah Brown / Unsplash
5. Boost the immune system and stay healthy
During the colder months, many people are looking for ways to strengthen their immune system. Whether it's about taking vitamins or focusing on a balanced diet, the demand for cold and flu prevention is particularly high in autumn. Small steps like more exercise in the fresh air, getting enough sleep, and consuming seasonal superfoods can have a big impact here.
Tip: Incorporate more vitamin C-rich foods such as citrus fruits, berries, and broccoli into your diet to support your immune system.
Conclusion
Autumn brings not only cooler weather but also the opportunity to reconsider habits and live more consciously every day. From time management to mindfulness to digital security – with these tips, you can make the most of the upcoming season. And if you want to organize your supplies cleverly, it's worth taking a look at the Speisekammer App, to keep track of your kitchen and plan sustainably.
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Fancy an efficient and relaxed autumn? Get the best tips for your daily life now and download the Speisekammer App to easily organize your grocery shopping and pantry. Stay productive, mindful, and healthy!
The best kitchen tools to turn leftovers into delicious dishes 🍲✨
Hand on heart: Each of us has them – those little leftovers in the fridge or pantry that somehow never get properly planned for. But it's exactly these remnants that can often be turned into the most creative and delicious dishes! All you need are a few clever kitchen tools that make the work easier and get the best out of your ingredients.
Here are our favorites:
🥣 1. The powerful blender
Smoothies, soups, dips – a good blender transforms leftover vegetables, fruit, or even bread into a new dish in seconds. Perfect when bananas are a bit brown or the vegetables no longer look crisp.
🔪 2. A sharp chef's knife
Sounds simple, but a really good knife is worth its weight in gold. It allows you to cut vegetable and meat scraps precisely and quickly. Moreover, cooking is just more fun when you have the right tools.
🍳 3. A cast iron skillet
The all-rounder in the kitchen: fried potatoes made from leftover boiled potatoes, frittatas with yesterday's vegetables, or crispy bread cubes from stale bread – everything tastes twice as good in a cast-iron skillet.
🥕 4. Vegetable Peeler & Grater
A modest tool with a big impact: grate carrot leftovers, turn zucchini into noodles, or finely shred cheese remnants. With a peeler and grater, you bring variety to your leftover cooking.
🥡 5. Storage Containers & Screw-top Jars
Without proper storage, nothing works. You can keep leftovers fresh, transport them, or even prepare them for the next meal prepping. Tip: Jars are also great for serving small amounts in style.
🌱 6. Kitchen Scale
It's practical to know exactly how much is left over, especially with leftovers. This way, you can adjust recipes and avoid waste.
🥄 7. Personal Blender
The little brother of the blender – perfect for soups or sauces right in the pot. When only a small amount needs to be processed, it's super convenient.
How Smantry additionally helps you 📲
With the Smantry App you can not only keep an eye on your supplies, but soon you'll also be able to discover recipes for your leftovers. This way, you'll immediately know which tool to take out of the cupboard to save your food and create something new.
👉 Because good tools and the right app are the perfect combo to combat food waste.
New laws on food waste in Spain
Spain has recently passed a groundbreaking law to combat food waste. This law requires all actors in the food chain, from producers to retailers, to implement specific plans to prevent food loss.
Key provisions of the law:
Obligation to donate surplus food: Supermarkets with a floor space of more than 1,300 square meters are now required to form partnerships with non-profit organizations to donate surplus food that is still fit for consumption. These donations are exempt from value-added tax.
Offer of packaging for leftover food: Restaurants and bars are required to provide their guests with free, reusable or recyclable packaging so that they can take home uneaten food. The aim is to raise consumer awareness of food waste and encourage them to take leftovers with them.
Promotion of the sale of products with approaching expiration dates: Retailers should offer products that are nearing their expiration date or have aesthetic defects at reduced prices to encourage their sale and reduce waste.
Hierarchy of priorities for dealing with surplus food: The law establishes an order for handling surplus food. Priority is given to human consumption through donations. If this is not possible, the food should be used for the production of processed products. The last options include using it as animal feed or for energy generation.
Sanctions for violations:
Companies that violate the provisions of the law can expect fines ranging from 2,000 to 500,000 euros.
Critique and Outlook:
While the law is considered an important step in the fight against food waste in Europe, there is also criticism. Some voices argue that the strict framework of sanctions could disproportionately burden companies and that the law does not sufficiently address the role of consumers, who are responsible for a significant portion of food waste.
Nevertheless, the law is seen as a significant advancement in reducing food waste and promoting a more sustainable awareness in society.
Join in and reduce food waste! 🌱📲
Spain's new law demonstrates: Sustainability starts in the pantry! With the Speisekammer App you can keep track of your groceries, plan meals efficiently, and avoid unnecessary waste.
👉 Download the app now and join the movement for less waste and more conscious consumption! 💚 Try it now!
Sharing supplies together – why the Shared Economy is now moving into the kitchen
The concept of Shared Economy has long been more than a short-term trend – it's changing our everyday lives. More and more neighborhoods, shared apartments, and community projects are discovering how practical it is to organize groceries together and manage supplies transparently.
Why sharing supplies is becoming increasingly popular
- Save on costs: Bulk purchases become cheaper when more people participate.
- Save space: Not everyone needs their own package of rice or pasta.
- Better organization: Digital tools make it easy to see what is available.
- Experiencing community: Food brings people together – as does camping together.
From the flatshare to the neighborhood
Especially in shared apartments or families with multiple households it pays off to keep a communal stock of supplies. But neighborhood projects or small communities are also recognizing the added value: shopping, storing, and using together.
How Smantry helps
This is where Smantry comes into play:
- Community Feature: Supplies can be managed collectively.
- Transparency: Everyone can see which items are available.
- Efficiency: Duplicate purchases are avoided, leftovers are used up in time.
- Flexibility: Soon it will become even easier to manage entire communities (including new features such as categories or the option to completely delete communities).
👉 The shared economy doesn't stop with cars – it moves right into your kitchen. With Smantry sharing supplies becomes easier than ever.
At last, it's here: The categorization of articles 🎉
Over the past few months, we have collected numerous feedback from you – and the request for better organization of supplies was one of the most frequent wishes. Soon, it will be possible to sort your items into individual categories, so that you can keep track of everything even more quickly.
Why categories are so practical
- 🥦 More organization in your pantry: Instead of a long list, you can structure your products into categories such as "Vegetables", "Beverages", or "Household Goods".
- ⏱️ Faster Finding: No more long scrolling – jump straight to the right category.
- 👨👩👧👦 Improved collaboration: In communities or family households, everyone can immediately see where things belong.
- 🌍 Customization: You can create your own categories that suit your needs – whether for meal prep, stockpiling, or just your everyday life.
Your wish will become reality ✨
We know how important this feature is to you. That's why our development team has implemented categorization as a high priority. It will soon be available step by step in the app – fulfilling one of the biggest wishes of our community.
We are thrilled that we can make everyday life even easier for you with this. Stay tuned – as always, we will keep you updated on when the feature will be officially released.
👉 Do you already have ideas on how you want to structure your categories? Feel free to send us your suggestions or requests – your input might directly influence the ongoing development.